Release Stress with Deep Breathing Practices

Deep Breathing Practices Can Enhance Gut Health

Those with gut health issues, chronic inflammation, or autoimmune disease often gasp for air rather than breathing deeply. As a gut health expert knowing that most Americans battle digestive distress, my clientele bears witness to the fact that people generally do not breathe deeply. Many people operate primarily in fight or flight mode—initiated by the sympathetic nervous system to keep the body safe. When a fight or flight response becomes chronic, breathing can become habitually shallow and unconducive to good digestive health. When you do not breathe deeply, you do not release stress—unknowingly creating chronic inflammation. 

Reset the Nervous System with Deep Breathing Practices

Learning to breathe deeply allows you to regulate your nervous system naturally—the key to healing digestive imbalance. A regulated nervous system encourages you to consistently prioritize yourself, make good food choices, and practice self-care. However, these healthy choices may seem impossible while in fight or flight mode.

If I had not learned to breathe correctly, I would not be alive. After 17 years in and out of hospitals, I finally found a doctor who realized that my prescribed medications were escalating my preexisting health problems. He also advised me to follow a whole, organic food diet without sugar, gluten, and dairy. Unfortunately, even with these improvements, my autoimmune issues were still causing pain and brain fog. Consequently, I could not make good self-care choices. If thriving intensified my insecurity or was inconvenient for others, my healing was stalled due to brain fog.

Breathlessness Equals Stress

Ten years later, during the childbearing season of my life, I miscarried three times. However, good fortune led me to Niravi Payne—a fertility therapist who specialized in the body-mind connection. On my first visit, Niravi introduced me to use biofeedback through a small card that measures body temperature—and stress. Back signals high stress; red means low stress; green equals calm, and blue indicates completely serene. After a week of attempts to measure calmness, I was only able to read black—high stress. I was pretty sure the card was broken.

To prove my point, I handed the card to my 11-year-old stepson while studying for a math test—a subject he despised. I was convinced the biofeedback card would signal high stress for him as well. Interrupting his study, he placed his thumb on the card, and to my shock, the card turned blue. I realized the card was not broken—I was.

I discovered I constantly held stress in my body. Even though I felt safe and loved, my body disagreed. Every stressful event triggered me into a fight or flight state. I was gasping for air without knowing.

Trigger the Parasympathetic Nervous System with Deep Breathing Practices

Niravi taught me how to release stress with deep breathing practices. In 30 days, I could have a difficult conversation, and measure blue on the biofeedback card. Deep breathing practices shifted me from operating primarily in the fight or flight nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system. In 60 days, I became pregnant with the first child I was able to carry to term. The body is a miracle.

Aside from the exquisite gift of my newborn child, my self-care routine become consistent. Choosing healthy foods and saying “no” to unhealthy choices felt natural and fun. I hope to share this success with you—let me teach you how.

Solutions for Calming the Fight or Flight Response

I shared my personal story to illustrate the power of operating in the parasympathetic nervous system. You will find a step-by-step routine for how to release stress and achieve a calm state of mind in my Happy Gut Makeover Course and book, It Takes Guts to be Happy! I also recommend purchasing a biofeedback card. Furthermore, as a bonus, the incredible breathwork facilitator, Kimberly Rose, shares a breathwork meditation in the Coffee Enema—Home Training Video.

I wish you long, slow deep breaths on your road to health and vitality. Let me support as you learn to teach your body how to release stress.

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